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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. fine — high quality
  7. field — a subject
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. foot — a measure
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fine — all right
  14. field — for sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. field — farmland
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fork — in a road
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com